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The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the recipients of the 2026-27 Canva Fellowship at the AFI Conservatory.
The six recipients are: Divli Bhat for producing, Elizaveta Kurilova for screenwriting, Lauren Moreno
for directing, Zoey Punteney for production design, Colin Pham for cinematography and Auberin Strickland for editing.
The fellows began their Master of Fine Arts filmmaking program at the AFI Conservatory in August. Over the course of their two-year program, each fellow will receive a $40,000 scholarship.
“At the AFI Conservatory, we are empowering Fellows to take the helm of creative departments across the entire filmmaking life cycle,” dean of the AFI Conservatory Susan Ruskin said. “Now in its fourth year, our partnership with Canva prepares Fellows to lead — amplifying their voices and sharing diverse perspectives with audiences worldwide, in pursuit of telling great stories.”
Meet the fellowship recipients below.
Divli Bhat — Producing
As a film production student at San Jose State University, Bhat has gotten a taste of what it takes to be a film producer. She has worked as a unit production manager, production coordinator, line producer and first assistant director on award-winning short films such as “Margie and Mannequin.” Along with her production skills, she is also a trained special effects makeup artist.
Elizaveta Kurilova — Screenwriting
Kurilova is a Los Angeles-based writer and director with a Bachelor of Arts in the history of art from University College London. While there, she received the Frances Stracey Prize and completed the One-Year Conservatory in Acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. She has written and directed several short films, including “Come Swim With Me” and “Sheep and Ants and Sugar.”
Lauren Moreno — Directing
Moreno is a third-generation Mexican American filmmaker who aims to bring her Latino identity to the forefront of her films, while expanding representation and sharing authentic stories. Her debut film “Palmdale” earned multiple awards and festival selections, following her first written film which screened at the Official Latino Film Festival.
Colin Pham — Cinematography
Pham studied radio-television-film at the University of Texas Austin, but his real experience came from hands-on work in various projects. He has worked as a director of photography, assistant camera and G & E professional, who grounds his cinematography in camera mechanics and storytelling. He has contributed to award-winning shorts and larger projects.
Zoey Punteney — Production Design
Punteney’s minor in studio art from Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts gave her the opportunity to hone in on her creativity in a tangible way. She is also a content creator with a Youtube channel of 10,000 subscribers, which is where she realized her love for video editing. She hopes to work on major feature films in the future.
Auberin Strickland — Editing
Originally from Alaska, Strickland knows three languages — French, German and Italian — and prioritizes telling diverse stories in filmmaking. He runs Crooked Footprint Productions with his brother, Dune Strickland. He has previously worked with many filmmakers such as Dmitry Vasyukov, Hunter Nolan, Gina Papabeis, Vickie Curtis, Eyal Levy, Rachel Friedman and Grant Lafferty.
